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10 Ways to Save Money on Transcription Services

Copyright © 2005-2008 Leva Duell

Apply the following guidelines to speed up transcription, avoid mistakes, and reduce transcribing fees.

• Use a good quality microphone. Position the microphone near all speakers to pick up all voices clearly.
• Use good batteries in your dictation equipment.
• Use tapes designed for voice dictation. They filter out background noise. Demagnetize and clean the tape after every 10-30 hours of use.
• Erase the tape before dictation and indicate the end of transcription to avoid transcribing old materials.
• Rewind the tape to the beginning of the dictation.
• Dictate in a quiet environment. Turn off the TV and radio. Distance the microphone from air conditioners and fans. Avoid noise, background music, and acoustics in restaurants, outdoors, and airplanes.
• Speak clearly. Instruct people not to talk simultaneously. Identify all speakers.
• Don't eat, drink, or chew gun when dictating. (you'll be surprised how many people do this).
• Discuss the purpose of the transcription and any special style preferences. Do you want a verbatim transcript such as court transcriptions? Do you want to include sounds like uh, um, hmmm? Do you want to indicate laughter and indication of long pauses?
• Provide supporting documents or a list of unusual words and words with questionable spelling ( technical terms, names, streets, cities, i.e., Kathryn /Katherine /Catherine/Caterine, Ann/Anne, Bryan/Brian, Cardiff, Caminito. The transcriptionist may not be familiar with some words. Avoid time delays and costly revisions by spelling unusual words.

A clear dictation and high quality recording will increase the transcription speed and accuracy, and keep the transcription fees low.

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